� The Royal Museum of Perak � Istana Iskandariah �
� Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery � Ubudiah Mosque �
� Malay College � Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah Bridge � Pavilion Square Tower �

The Royal Museum of Perak
Located on Bukit Chandan, It was once the temporary residence of Sultan Iskandar Shah, the 30th sultan of Perak, while the Istana Iskandariah was being built. Istana Kenangan, as it was originally known, (also known as Istana Kuning, Istana Lembah and Istana Tepas), was built in 1926 by carpenter Haji Sopian and his children according to Malay traditional architecture but without without a blueprint or the use of a single nail. The walls are made of woven sliced bertam or bamboo with
 diamond shaped motifs.

Built from the most solid and expensive wood while the roof is made of kayu berlian which is waterproof, the entire building is painted in the three official colours of the Perak flag representing the three branches of the royal family - white, yellow and black. A short distance from this former palace is Istana Iskandariah, which remains as the official palace till today.


Istana Iskandariah
The Royal Palace with its Art-Deco architecture is significant piece of architectural milestone in Malaysia. Painted a pristine cream and white with regal golden domes, the palace is sprawled over a large gated compound with the canopy of huge rain trees shading its beautifully landscaped grounds. In 1984, a banquet hall and another ceremonial function hall was added on to the imposing palace of typical Moorish design. Although the palace is not accessible to the public, a replica of its ceremonial function hall or better known as the Balai Rong Seri can be viewed at the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery.


Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery
This former palace, called Istana Hulu or Istana Kota was built in 1903, during the reign of Sultan Idris Mursyidul�Adzam Shah, the 28th Sultan of Perak. Today, the gallery, the brainchild of the Sultan himself, features the many facets the present Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah. The gallery, officiated by Sultan Azlan Shah on the 48th anniversary of his marriage to Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun on Dec 9, 2003, houses collections under 13 categories, that allows his subjects
to know him better.

They include personal items like the Sultan�s birth certificate, old identity cards, driving licences, marriage certificate, Royal Ipoh Club membership card, certificates acknowledging his Hole-In-One feats and court notes of his first case presiding as a magistrate in 1958. Items belonging to the royal couple as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Permaisuri Agong (The Kng), and as ruling couple of the state include the royal aigrette which was designed by the Sultan�s great-grandfather Sultan Idris Murshidul�Adzam Shah I in 1911, honorary awards and medals, official attire, keris and swords, and a fleet
of Rolls Royce.

There are also many rare and astounding items, which were given to the couple as gifts by heads of state around the world. A giant fungus measuring 1.37m in diameter and 0.58m high is the biggest piece of fungus found in Malaysia. There are also stone tools from 74,000 years ago that were discovered along with the Perak Man in Gua Harimau, Lenggong. Other exhibits include an oyster shell with partly formed pearls, a model of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jordan made of mother of pearl and a model of the world�s first ancient bronze seismograph invented by famous Chinese scholar Zheng He in 132AD. Adjacent to the gallery is the Ubudiah Mosque, one of the most famous and photographed mosques in Malaysia.


Ubudiah Mosque
Also built by Sultan Idris I in 1917, and reputed to be one of the most beautiful Mosques in the country. Located in Bukit Chandan, it has a magnificent golden dome and minarets using Indo-Saracenic architecture as well as West Asian architecture.

While convalescing from an illness in Port Dickson, Sultan Idris Murshidul-adzam Shah (1887-1916) made a vow to build a mosque at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar, when he fully recuperated. Construction began in September 26, 1913, a Friday, when the sultan laid the foundation stone for the mosque. Construction was delayed when the then crown prince's elephant walked over and cracked the imported Italian marble floor. After four years finally completed in 1919, the mosque has five domes, one major dome with four smaller ones and a total of twenty-four minarets. The Perak royal mausoleum is located near the mosque.


Malay College
In the middle of Kuala Kangsar town stands a magnificent Greco-Roman styled building - The Malay College Kuala Kangsar or formerly Maktab Melayu Kuala Kangsar. is the premier residential school in Malaysia. brainchild of Mr R J Wilkinson, then Inspector of Schools for the Federated Malay States, this all-boys and all-Malay school was where the country�s rulers - the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negri Sembilan, his son Tuanku Ja�afar (10th King), Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (seventh King), Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak (ninth King) and Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah of Selangor (11th King) - were educated.

Other prominent figures like the first president of Umno, Datuk Onn Jaafar and former prime ministers Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak were also old boys. Set up on Jan 2, 1905, the school was originally named the Malay Residential School and later renamed Malay College Kuala Kangsar. Sultan Idris who ruled from 1887 to 1916 took a keen interest in education and he was instrumental in the development of the college that provided boys with British public school education, preparing them with a career path in the Malay Admistrative Service. Not unlike schools like Eton and Harrow in England, these schools create strong bonding amongst the boys also known as the 'old boys' network' which continues way past graduation. For this, the college also acquired another name among the Malays - Bab ud-Darajat
or the 'Gateway to high ranking'!



Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah Bridge
Also known as Jambatan Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah in Malay, it is one of two major bridges in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia with the other one being the Jambatan Iskandariah. It crosses the Perak River near the town of Kuala Kangsar.




Pavilion Square Tower
Just across the road from the playing fields of the Malay College and sits the Pavilion Square. It is considered by some to be one of the most beautiful old buildings of this Royal town. Built in 1930, this small pavilion of 3 tiers was designed for the Royal families and dignitaries to watch polo matches nearby in comfort.

It has a unique design and reflects some of the elegance of early Malay architecture, with a special charm totally its own. Having undergone some renovation, it is now
part of a public park.



 

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